joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Barrister Anthony Smith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barr_anthonysmith101@lawyer.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:18:59 +0100
Subject: Urgent Attention

Fund Transfer/Verification Department
REF-WBAR/SWISS/AD/VOL.2/2010.
>From the Desk of:
Barrister Anthony Smith
Head of Foreign Operation
Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Attention Beneficiary,

We, the entire members of the Federal House of Senate, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigerian Government, under the auspices of the civilian Head of State, President Umaru Musa Yardua and the Head of Foreign Operation Mr. Tony Freeman including the British Prime Minister in conjunction with U.S.A GOVERNMENT, UNITED NATION ORGANIZATION held a meeting last week concerning debt payment, both foreign and local contractors and some inheritance funds. In that meeting we reach out that you have given this irrevocable approval order with Release Code: GNC/3480/02/00 in your favor for your contract entitlement/ payment with the UNITED NATIONS to your destination. I wish to bring to your kind/urgent notice that we have received your approved contractual part payment of your amount valued at USD$22.7M from the Federal Government of Nigeria under the mandate of the Nigeria minting of printing for an immediate payment to you.

Your name appeared in our payment schedule list of beneficiaries that will receive their funds in this Second quarter payment of the year because we only transfer fund twice in a year according to our banking regulation. We apologize for the delay of your payment and please stop communicating with any office now and attention to the appointed office below for you to receive your payment accordingly.

Now your new Payment, United nation Approval No; UN5685P, White House Approved No: WH44CV, Reference No.-35460021, Allocation No: 674632 Password No: 339331, Pin Code No: 55674 and your Certificate of Merit Payment No: 103, Released Code No: 0763; Immediate World Bank Telex confirmation No: -1114433; Secret Code No: XXTN013. Your fund is USD$22.7Million. Having received these vital payment numbers, therefore you are qualified now to received and confirm your payment with the World Bank African Region immediately within the next 168hrs. We assure you that your payment will get to you as long as you follow my directives and instructions. We have decided to give you a CODE, THE CODE IS: 6006. Please, any time you receive a mail with the name Barrister Anthony Smith, check if there is CODE (6006) if the code is not writing, please delete the message from your box!

(1) Your full name:
2) Address, city, state and country.
3) Phone, fax and mobile Numbers
4) Company name (if any) position and address
5) Profession, age and marital status

Choose your best option and have in mind that you must comply with a due process.

You are welcome.

Barrister Anthony Smith
Head of Foreign Operation
Federal Republic Nigeria

Anti-fraud resources: